Firefighter, too quick to
blaze, charged with arson
A former volunteer firefighter accused Wednesday of being a serial arsonist made a big mistake early in his fire-setting spree last year that raised suspicions he was the firebug, investigators said.
When 911 mistakenly dispatched crews to the wrong address of a brush fire in Laflin in May, David Donnora responded directly to the correct location of the fire - and was the only member of the department to do so, arrest papers say.
That's because Mr. Donnora, 23, set the blaze, authorities said Wednesday, announcing that the 23-year-old has implicated himself in a total of 13 arsons in Dupont, Laflin and Pittston Twp. since May. State police charged Mr. Donnora with the five arsons that caused property damage, saying they will determine whether to file charges in eight brush fires at a later time.
Mr. Donnora was first charged last month with arson relating to a fire that broke out Dec. 10 on Main Street in Dupont.
Mr. Donnora, of 433 Highway 315, Dupont, was a probationary member with the Laflin Volunteer Fire Department from June to September and worked with the Dupont Volunteer Fire Department from September until early December, when state police determined he was a suspect in a Main Street house fire, authorities said.
While Mr. Donnora was a firefighter in Laflin, there were seven suspicious brush fires throughout the spring and summer, police said. The fires continued when Mr. Donnora transferred to Dupont, except there all the blazes involved structures.
State police said Mr. Donnora once again raised suspicions of fellow firefighters when he was the first firefighter to arrive and suit up at the fire station following the report of a fire at 251 Main St. in Dupont at 6:50 a.m. Dec. 10.
Arrest papers say a state police fire marshal became suspicious of Mr. Donnora while investigating that fire because Mr. Donnora "was following him, taking interest in what he was doing."
Mr. Donnora admitted to setting the fire when investigators told him they suspected him, state police say.
Mr. Donnora is charged with multiple counts of arson, reckless burning and criminal mischief. He was released on $250,000 unsecured bail.
Contact the writer: bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com, @cvbobkal